Saved by the Toad
by tradgicrose
Summary: During the chunnin exams when Naruto was learning to summon toads from Pervy Sage. What happens when Sakura get curious about what her teammate is up to. Rated for Sakura's potty mouth, no lemon. Still fun!
1. Chapter 1

**Written at the request of Zombienuat, credit for the idea goes to him. I do not own Naruto.**

Naruto was having no luck summoning toads, he had been trying his hardest for three grueling weeks. At least he had made it out of the tadpole stage, mostly, they still appeared with little tails. To top that off Pervy Sage was anything except help. Just sitting around gawking at half naked women while poor Naruto was pouring his heart and soul into getting a true tailless toad. He practically had to beg the lecher to teach him a trick. The old man made it sound like he had to put his life on the line to do this trick but what were ninja if they weren't willing to go that far everyday. Training should be no different. First thing he got dragged into was taking a bath. It wasn't the worst training Naruto ever had but what teenage boy enjoys a bath unless there is an opportunity to sneak a peek at the girl of your dreams. He was beginning to question his teachers methods already but he desperately wanted to learn this so called trick.

Next they go for food and Pervy Sage tells him to eat up. Being a growing boy, that's exactly what he does, then that cheap skate skips out on paying for the meal. What kind of cheap man was he not paying for the boy's food? Naruto was about fed up with the whole situation and wasn't sure if this trick was even worth his time. He felt like the white haired jerk was just yanking him around.

All his thoughts of revenge on the old man flew out the door when the old pervert asked if Naruto had a lovely girl. Then proceeded to tell him to go and hug her of all things. Of course there was a girl. Now, he was nervous. The girl he loved, Sakura, was known for her explosive temper. He was sure she was going to smash his face in for attempting such an invasion of her personal space but it was for training, so he would man up and hug her. Maybe this was the putting the life on the line part that the old man was talking about. He cornered her in an ally way, but he didn't know how to approach the subject of a simple hug with the girl.

"Naruto, what do you want?" she asked loosing her patients with the boy as he mumbled away, "I won't lend you money if that's what you're looking for."

"It's nothing like that," Naruto smiled trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice but failing like he did at summoning toads.

"Well there doesn't seem to be anything I can help you with so I am leaving," the pinkette announced as she got up from the wall she was leaning on.

"Hold on," Naruto yelled, panicking about not completing his training.

He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. It looked like she was about to loose her balance and fall into his arms. That would be his chance to wrap his arms around her and embrace her like he had always wanted to. She got her footing faster than he expected her to, she was a ninja after all.

"What the hell, Naruto?" she snarled as her fist lashed out and connected with his face.

It left him with a nice sized bruised cheek and a fat lip. The female member of team seven was pissed, he dragged her to a deserted ally to cop a feel. The world was full of perverts and the biggest one was on her team. She stomped off mad but she got to thinking about it. A punch to the face was a good punishment but forcing yourself on a girl was worth a better ass beating than that. Her temper hadn't cooled and so she turned around and headed back to where she left the injured boy. She found him walking with an old man. Hearing Naruto call him Pervy Sage set the young girls mind working overtime. To her, Naruto was a typical boy, he was always wanting to prove himself on missions and seemed to have a strange relationship with the other member of their team but he wasn't a bad person. He would point out perverts with the best of them. If he was now taking lessons from the old man on how to be a bigger pervert she needed to put a stop to it now. They were heading out of the village so she followed them. She told herself it was to catch them in the act of being lecherous and punish them on the spot but her curiosity was really getting the better of her.

Naruto had just got his face rearranged by the girl he loved, he had better get a damn frog out of this or there was going to be some hell to pay. So, he called the old man out on it.

"There is no doubt about it, you'll get one," replied Pervy Sage as he turned to the boy, "anything left undone?"

Naruto just looked at the man like he was speaking gibberish. Next thing Sakura sees from her tailing them is the old pervert knock out her teammate with one hit to the gut. She was going to have to ask him how he did that one day. The old man picked up Naruto's lifeless body and started walking. Now she was conflicted, she had thought of him as a dirty old man teaching the boy bad things but now he had assaulted her teammate. Two choices waged war in her mind, follow the creep walking off with her teammate or go back and find help for the boy.

Following the pair won out over skirting home for help. She calculated her chances in a fight against the pervert and she didn't like the figures she kept coming up with. If he could turn Naruto's lights out with a single punch she wasn't going to be any better off. The old man rudely dropped the young boy on the ground. Thankfully he got up and started talking with Purvey Sage. The girl felt like they now had a better standing now if it came down to a fight to get Naruto away from him. Or maybe this was part of his sick training.

Naruto awoke not knowing where he was or what his insane teacher was trying to pull now. To top it off the old man starts going on about his training ending.

"What about the trick? Is this some kind of stupid joke?" yelled the rambunctious teen.

"Time to die and come back," the Toad Sage stated in a eerily calm manner compared to his words.

"What do you mean die?" Naruto questioned sounding leery of the man.

Pervy Sage went on to explain everything to Naruto in great detail. Bringing forth enormous amounts of chakra to escape deaths clutches and to feel it will his own body and to remember those feelings. It was a little over the poor boy's head but he did his best to listen. He was starting to think the old man just liked to hear the sound of his own voice but Naruto held on tight to the hope that the trick would be presented soon. Sakura was beginning to not know what to think about the strange couple. She was still prepared to deliver the boy's punishment for trying to grope her.

"Maybe I'll get lucky and the pervert will kill him for me," the pinkette snickered to herself.

"If you want to live, figure it out," Pervy Sage said as he touched the boys headband and sent him sailing through the shrubbery.

"What the fuck!" Screamed out in two teens minds as Naruto slowed over a massive cliff, then started his downward decent.

Shock filled her body, she would have to be more careful about what she wished for. Without thinking she moved, she had to help him, he was her teammate after all. If he was going to die it was going to be by her hand and not some crazed man sending him off a dangerous cliff. She was at the edge trying to come up with a plan when a firm hand rested on her slender shoulder.

"He has to do this on his own. He was given strength, he has to figure out how to use it," commented the deep voice she recognized as the pervert.

The young girl sprang away from the creep and readied a weapon, "you just sent my teammate hurtling towards certain death and you tell me I can't help him. What kind of bull shit is that?" she snarled. One hand holding the kunai and the other fishing for her ninja wire.

He almost laughed, if he didn't know better he would think his old teammate was reborn with pink hair the way she growled at him and was ready to fight. Naruto tried to grab the walls but he was falling too fast and the damn rocks were too slippery. The thought of dying rattled around in his brains as the ground was coming up faster and faster. Then, the rock side and ground were gone, first thing that snapped into his mind was he was now dead. He must be in Hell because it was dark, dripping water, and smelled like wet dog. There was also a raspy growl that must belong to some kind of hell hound. He began to explore and felt something familiar on the air, it was that odd red chakra that came out from time to time. In front of him appeared two massive gates, behind them was sealed a ginormous beast. His fangs were the size of Naruto's body and his eyes glowed with hate.

The beast spoke to him, beckoning him closer. The boy took a few hesitant steps, as he drew close large claws lashed out at him scaring him back. The beast talked of killing him and eating him, Naruto knew it, he was in hell.

"This damn gate won't open, I'm sealed by a stupid spell," the monster growled, disappointed that the object he wished to devour was so close yet still out of grasp.

"My hell is the nine-tailed fox?" Naruto asked as his body shook with fear. The feel of this chakra was too intimate to belong to an after life realm. This was the cause of his own personal hell in his everyday life.

"Why have to come here?" boomed the beast.

Naruto focused all his energy into a bluff, he moved his body into a more commanding posture and a glare set on his boyish whiskered face.

"Now, you listen here, you stupid fox, you've been a house guest in my body for too long, its time to start paying your dues. Let me barrow some chakra," Naruto demanded.

Laughter filled the dark halls, the beast found his jailer very amusing, "only because if you die I die but have impressed me with your bold words."

Angry red chakra seeped out from the bottom of the gates and enclosed around the boy muffling his screams.

"Consider this your reward," chuckled the fox.

Once again Naruto was plummeting to his sure death with cliffs all around him and the hard ground in his near future if he didn't do something fast. He followed his practiced moves that he had done over and over the past three weeks with little success. He used his summoning to call forth a toad. Not only did he call forth a tailless toad but he managed to bring out one that had to be the size of a building.

"Fuck me sideways," Sakura mumbled looking at the sight before her.

The man with the wild white hair blushed hearing such words coming from the tiny figure. He was starting to wonder about this generation of ninja. The odd pair watched as Naruto's toad began to yell about being summoned. Naruto was too busy inspecting the toad to worry about a small thing like its mood. His excitement bubbled over and jumping for joy ensued. The wild boy found that he had not only summon an honest to goodness toad but that he summoned the Chief Toad.

"Alright little miss, its time for us to go. We don't want to be around when that toad gets up here," the Sage warned, in one quick fluid movement he disarmed her and had her slung over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

"Put me down you pervert!" she screamed as she kicked and pounded her fists on his back.

He moved them to what he considered a safe distance, and started to spy on Naruto and the giant frog. When the toad finally made its way out of the deep cliffs it did so in one large leap. Naruto was now going up as fast or maybe even faster than he had been going down. With his landing dirt, trees, and rocks flung in every direction from the force that was the great toad.

"What the hell, old man!" screamed the girl as she was perched in the tall tree next to the Sage.

"These things are best observed from a distance," was all the reply she received as he spied through a scope at the boy and toad.

"Aren't you suppose to be his teacher or something? Shouldn't you be down there with him actually doing something productive?" she inquired with a nasty tone. Normally she was respectful of her elders but this man had pissed her off in a way only Naruto was ever able to achieve.

"Some things you have to experience for yourself," he countered still watching the exchange between summoner and summoned.

"Like near death," shot out of the girl's mouth.

"Exactly, some of us need pushed to the very edge to see what we are made of," grinned the old man who was finally looking at her.

She couldn't argue with that. Sound ninja had pushed her to her brink and she had shown what she was made of. Vowing to get stronger, she wanted to be on equal footing as her teammates but seeing what Naruto could already accomplish made her feel like a child trying to keep up with the grown-ups. Sakura decided then that she would not be satisfied until she made good on her vow to make the boys watch her from the back. Loud shouting reached her ears and pulled her from her thoughts. She couldn't make out all the words but the tone dripped with defiance and purpose. Most likely her teammate was demanding respect because he was the future Hokage.

"That a boy, Naruto," she smiled.

Looking down to see what the quiet sage was doing, he was now staring in the opposite direction of his student mumbling about research. Giggles belonging only to members of a delicate sex reached her ears.

"Pervert," she growled as her foot slammed into his backside, kicking him out of the tree.

Naruto swore to Chief Toad that the animal would see him as it's master by him staying on his back for the rest of the day. Chief Toad wasn't one to back away from any challenge. He took the boy racing across the forest, hurtling through the sky, and diving to bottom of lakes. He jumped around in the water creating a huge spray making a wonderful rainbow that went unnoticed by the exhausted boy on the monster toad's back. The Sage decided to not join the angry girl back in the tree and find a better vantage point to watch his bumbling student and the lovely ladies in barely there bikinis.

The sun was nearing its decent as two worried ninja watched a third ride on the back of a wild romping toad. The boy was well past his limits, continuing on by sheer determination alone. With a last ditch effort the toad pulled out all the stops to rid himself of his annoying passenger. He charged and sprang into the air smashing the boy to his back by the force of the wind. When the toad landed roughly Naruto lost his footing and fell, he squeezed out enough chakra to bring shadow clones out to rescue him. Sakura wanted to help but she knew at this point it would be unwelcomed, it was a battle of pride between the two. With the help of his clones he was back on the toad. He celebrated a little too early, dancing away and mocking the toad before his fatigue crashed down upon him. Fainting he fell from the mountain of a toad.

"He'll die!" Sakura cried, a small hand flying to her mouth trying to stop the words from coming true.

A large pierced tongue reached out and saved him last moment.

"You were so close, kid," chuckled the Chief Toad.

He placed the boy back on his head for safe keeping. From somewhere behind him a scroll came flying by him and opened to show that Naruto had signed it making him a summoner of toads. The old frog already knew the child had been the one to call him to this world. No one since the Forth Hokage had done that. As a reward for hanging on as long as he did he took the boy to the hospital in the Leaf. It was the least he could do after all he put him through.

Sakura didn't know to where her teammate with the blond unruly hair had been spirited away to. Not caring what had happened to her perverted companion, she worked her way back to the village. Finding out how the hell that boy summoned that monster toad was at the top of her to do list. After a long walk she was back in her home town. It was all the buzz about the giant that appeared out of nowhere by the hospital. Hoping that was where she would find Naruto she went there. He was sleeping comfortably in a hospital bed. He looked pretty cute when he was calm and peaceful like. She surprised herself thinking that way. Naruto had impressed her, she was willing to admit that she had a new found respect for his abilities as a ninja.

Making a decision to stay by his bedside all night, she succumb to sleep sometime after midnight. Half laying on his bed, her hand dangerously close to his. Naruto was still sleeping like the dead when Sakura found herself waking by his side. Her petite hand nestled safely in his. Her young cheeks turned from a lovely peach to a beautiful shade of rose. Recovering from her shock she slipped her hand away from his. She was too lost in thought clutching her warm hand to notice the lecher grinning like a pervert from the window.

"The boy has a way of growing on you" smiled the old man.

Her head snapped up to stare at the man who yanked her from her thoughts of the blond before her. His knowing look annoyed her but only because it was true, he had grown on her, slowly but he was persistent.

Trying to change the subject she asked a question, "how the hell did he manage to summon that toad?"

"You'll have to ask him that," the man dodged giving her a real answer and took off before she could pester him further.

Shikimaru popped in for a moment but since Sakura was already there he decided to not stick around. She felt like she was waiting forever for the sleeping boy to wake. When he did rouse, his heart swelled seeing his pink haired teammate sitting by his hospital bed. He gave her his best smile and she returned it with a small gentle one. Making small talk with him about how he felt and trying to draw out why he was in the hospital without having to be direct but she failed.

"Listen, Naruto," her voice worried, he began to panic thinking something terrible had happened to Sasuke and that's why she was at his bedside, "I saw you summon the toad."

He let out a breath he was holding. That wasn't as bad as what he was expecting to hear. Summoning that toad was something he was pretty proud of.

"That was pretty wild, wasn't it!" he beamed.

He didn't want to have this conversation with her, he felt like they were getting somewhere better in their relationship and he didn't want to explain that he had a demon sealed inside him. He started to move, to get out of the room that seemed to have shrunk two sizes.

"How did you do it," she asked, straight to the point.

He gave her the basic rundown of a summoning that she could have read in any book on the subject but that wasn't the question she wanted answered. He moved for the door and she blocked his path.

"I didn't ask for the text book definition of how to call a contracted animal, I ask how you did it. I want to know how that toad got here!" she pushed.

By her stance he knew she wasn't going to take anything less than the truth. It had been nice while it lasted, their new way of interacting but it was about to be over with the next words out of his mouth.

"I have the nine-tailed fox sealed in me. I used his chakra to summon that toad," he answered, blue eyes never wavering as they bore into green jewels.

Then it was there, that cold look of fear and distrust. He was use to it but seeing that look on her, it tore at his heart. He moved around her and headed out to find where Pervy Sage was hiding, anywhere really to get away from that look. She saw it on his face, deep in his eyes, she hurt him with her reaction. Villagers had always treated him cold, scorning him whenever he came around. Even her own mother had told her to stay away from him when she was really young, trying to protect her from something unknown about the boy. He was headed for the door when her quick hands reached out and wrapped around a few of his fingers.

"All I know about the nine-tails scares me," she started not sure what to tell the boy, "but you don't scare me."

"I don't understand," he confessed, he didn't see where she was going by saying that.

"We've been on the same team long enough for me to know you fairly well. I trust you with my life, you're not the nine-tails. I just need a little time to get use to the idea that there is a demon in you," she explained as best she could what was in her heart.

"I can give you time. Can you give me something?" he inquired, hope filling the hole opened by hurt.

"I think I can," she answered as she let go of his fingers and he faced her.

"Will you let me tell everyone in my own time?" he questioned, some people wouldn't be ready for the truth about him yet.

"Its your secret, I can keep it," she smiled as she stuck out her hand for him to shake.

He had been through so much, he needed more than a casual handshake. Being bold he grabbed her and pulled her into a giant hug. Her hair smelled of the forest and it was amazing to feel her body so close to his. He was prepared for whatever she was going to do to him for this. Rearrange his face again or send him flying out the window, he didn't care. He had been longing for human contact for way too long. Slowly her arms raised and placed them on his back, returning his embrace. Sometimes a little understanding can go a long way.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I wasn't going to expand on this story but never say never... Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Ever since Sakura found out that her blond teammate housed the nine-tailed fox, the villain of children's bedtimes stories, gobbling up the little ones who didn't listen to their parents, things had changed. Naruto still got on her nerves, and her temper still had a way of exploding on him but there was comradeship from knowing his secret that changed their relationship. Something between them no one understood. She rooted for him through the chunin exams, she had not been surprised that Naruto had saved her from Gaara, and she had tried to protect him from himself when he and Sasuke tested each other on the roof of the hospital.

Through everything, she had stayed true to her word and not told anyone, not even their teammate or sensei about the demon inside the boy. Though, she suspected Kakashi-sensei already knew but with no proof she never confronted him.

Now, she had done the unthinkable to a friend.

_"Please, please bring Sasuke back," she sobbed. _Her words echoed in the deepest recesses of her mind.

She was standing there, just outside his hospital room, riddled with guilt. He was imprisoned in these walls because of her careless words. Her hand was resting on the door, she knew she needed to open it and step through but she didn't know what to say to him. How could she face him after making him take her burden, forcing on him her guilt for being incapable of stopping their teammate from chasing after the power he lusted for. She didn't deserve to be called Naruto's friend, his confident, his comrade.

"Then Sasuke," she heard Shikamaru ask.

"Yeah, he's gone," Naruto's sad answer.

Swallowing down the bile growing in her throat, she resolved to push the sliding door open. Before she could make her body listen to her commands, there was a different blond standing beside her.

"News travels fast," smiled the Lady Fifth walking passed the girl stuck in her head and through the door to the boy inside. The boy she needed to face, to make sure he was fine, the boy she needed to reassure she would stay by his side, that they would fix this together.

When he saw her she could feel it, his wide blue eyes, his heart was breaking not keeping that stupid promise she shackled him with. The horror they held at having to tell her that he wasn't strong enough to keep his word, that her expectations were too high of him. He can tell, she already knows he failed, she can read him like an open book.

"Naruto," she uttered, she felt like she didn't deserve to say his name.

Lady Tsunade said something to the boy but the girl didn't hear it. All her focus on the pain clearly on Naruto's whiskered face. The hurt and shame she might as well put there herself.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," he says, it kills her like a slow knife twisting in her heart. She came to say those words, not to listen to them.

"Don't apologize," she says, "look at you, all wrapped up, I bet you went overboard."

The battle must have been brutal, by the way he was covered from head to toe in bandages. She could picture him giving everything to drag their friend back, all for the sake of a promise.

"I'm sorry," his words again, he needed her to understand, to accept his plea for forgiveness.

"Stop apologizing," she begs, if she hears those words from him again she might die. She moves to the window, opens the curtains, she needs a distraction. Outside it was a beautiful day, sun shining, birds chirping, and here she was feeling like the worst person in the world.

"Sakura, I will keep my promise, no matter what, I promised on my life, and I mean it!" his voice begged for her understanding, but he didn't need to. This was bigger than just him, stronger than her, this would be a trial for all of them. This was history repeating itself, fate had done this to them.

"Naruto, its alright," she spoke, softly, like the glass would break if she raised her voice.

"Sakura, he," Shikamaru started but was cut off by her teammate.

"Its my ninja way, you can believe I'll keep that promise," he smiled like a fool, the life returning to those sky blue eyes she secretly loved. He laughed a bit, his cheery side finally returning even if it was only to see her happy.

A smile returned to her lips, he always had that infectious smile, she couldn't help but share it with him. She was the bigger fool here, she moved from the window to sit on his bed beside him.

"Its me that owes you an apology, I'm sorry I made you wait. Next time, we'll do it together," she stated putting her hand on his head and pulling their heads together, "next time, its you and me, alright, just give me sometime to catch up," she smiled. She got up and left head held high, she'd make this mistake up to him, even if it killed her.

She found a quiet spot to think, a bridge, with a peaceful water to help drown out the memories. Sasuke leaving would not break her, and she would not let her moment of weakness be the end of Naruto. She would shed this pathetic image and become a ninja the Leaf would be proud to have produced. She couldn't do it alone, she needed a guide, someone who would understand her plight.

"Come in," sounded a voice behind the door the pinkette found herself staring down.

With every ounce of self confidence she had she walked into the Hokage's office, "please teach me, make me your disciple," she requested of the older woman.

A sly grin came across the Fifth Hokage of the Leaf, "I won't go easy on you."

"I'd be disappointed if you did," the determined girl replied.

She would do this, take whatever the Hokage dished out, for herself, for what was left of their team and for the one that got away. Fate tied her to a boy with a demon lock inside him and another with the weight of his hatred on his shoulders. She would find a way to be greater than both and rise above the ashes she had created by not taming her wild emotions. With one on one training she couldn't hide behind her boys, she would be on the front lines, learning from a legend. Not having time for anything else, her days and weeks blurred together, her body and chakra stamina where changing daily.

"Naruto is leaving today," came Lady Tsunade's off-handed comment while sipping tea.

"What? Nobody told me he was leaving, a mission or something?" asked the girl as she wiped fish smell off her hands.

"He's going to be traveling with the Jiraiya for a few years, training," noted the Slug Princess. She had kept this information from the girl for her own good. But she had a change of heart, and if her apprentice wanted to say good-bye to the boy, she wasn't going to stand in her way.

"You're going to let that pervert raise a teenage boy for a few years? Naruto is going to comeback a panty stealing, bathhouse peeping, womanizing creep!" yelled the girl.

"Well, go give him a piece of your mind," smirked the Legendary Medic.

"I'm going to give him more than a piece," snarled the to-be medic.

Sakura stormed off to the gates, she had to be quick, maybe she could stop this. Finding Naruto starring up at the stone faces that guarded the village, relief filled her small frame. She had just enough time.

"Naruto," she called as she ran up to him.

He greeted her with his trademark grin, "come to see me off?"

"No, don't go," she pleaded as she pulled him into an embrace, "I'm trying to catch up, I promise, don't abandon me, not you too."

His arms came up and returned her hug, "I have to do this, Pervy Sage is the only one who can teach me and he's leaving, I have to go, but I am coming back, our team isn't dead. Its just taking different paths for a little while, but our paths will connect again," he reasoned, sounding very mature for him.

"Don't go, train with me, just don't go," she sniffed as tears trailed down her cheeks. She needed him here, for the days she'd want to give, for the days she celebrated her accomplishments, she needed him.

"This is what's best for him," the Toad Sage butted in wanting to get on the road.

"You shut your fucking mouth, this is between me and him," she snarled as she push Naruto behind her so she was between him and the man taking him from her. Naruto knew she cussed when she was uncomfortable with what was going on around her. The lecher would get more than he bargained for if he angered her.

"None of that, I'll be back before you know it, and when I do, I want to fight you," Naruto grinned.

Her eyebrows shot up, he was acknowledging her as a ninja and wanted to fight, her heart about burst. A hot glare set on the old man, she'd make him regret the day he was born if he twisted her Naruto into a replica of himself.

Pointing a finger at the sage she swore to him, "if he comes back half the pervert you are, I will kill you."

The Legendary Ninja blinked in surprise, he didn't know what shocked him more, the fact that she had the balls to threaten a Sannin or that he was scared she would carry it through. Ever since their encounter when Naruto summoned the Chief Toad, he was leery of her.

"I will bring him back as pure as he is toady," the old man assured, hoping to pacify the the spunky rosette.

She dried her eyes, straightened her back, and gathered her last bit of resolve. "Fine then, remember Naruto, I won't be easy when you get home so you better train hard," she warned. The last thing she wanted to do was support him leaving but if that was what he wanted she would stand by that decision. He was her rock in many ways, she could be his this time.

"Believe it!" he yelled and held up a thumb.

A devious smirk graced her features, she refused to watch him walk out of those gates, and out of her life. She turned and walked back in the direction of the heart of the village, only waving once over her shoulder. Now that her decision was made, she would take great care to follow through with her promises. Naruto wouldn't know what hit him when she caught up to him, and that pervert Sage would find she could kill him if he didn't keep to his word.

Promises, that's what drove them, promises to a loved one, and promises to themselves. Pushing themselves to the brink became the normal for the two teenagers. Their training, their trials, they pushed everything they did, never settling for good enough, it had to be great or perfect. Even with the miles that separated them, they were never far from each others thoughts. They grew, in mind, body and experience.

From his perch, he looked over his village, his home. He breathed in its familiar sent and heard its comforting hum. It hadn't changed, except Granny's face was now among the faces of stone looming over the village.

"Yo," came the sound of a comforting voice, "looks like you've finally grown a little." There was his sensei, relaxing on the roof, reading that ever loving porn book. Naruto chuckled to himself, how Kakashi never got hit for being a pervert was beyond him. Maybe it was the quiet perverts that flew under his teammate's radar. Joining the copy cat ninja on the roof made the young man nostalgic.

"Don't be jealous you haven't changed at all," smiled the mouthy youngster, "speaking of things never changing, here's this, its really boring but I think you'll enjoy it."

He handed his sensei his copy of the next book coming out written by his pervert master. Naruto chuckled as the man sputtered for words at the lusty treasure before him. Thanks to his mask, the student couldn't tell the man was close to drooling over the naughty novel. It had been three long years waiting for it and he had begun to give up hope of the Sage ever writing another one. With training the rambunctious boy and spying for the Leaf, he had understood why it may never come but that didn't stop his disappointment. Not waiting for the boy to leave he opened the crisp pages and breathed in deep that new book smell.

"Now, I have an important matter to take care of, next stop Ichiraku Ramen!" yelled the teen, leaping back down to the road.

He really wanted to see Sakura, his hands ached to feel her skin under them. He wanted to breath in her heavenly sent, thread his fingers into her rose colored locks, press his lips to hers, and never be apart from her again. If only she felt the same. While deep in thought he didn't realize she was walking with her master in front of him until her voice said something to the busty blond she was accompanying.

"Sakura!" he yelled out in his excitement of his day dream coming to life before him. She looked good, better than he remembered. She'd grown and his mind ran wild with all the dreams he had of her over the years they'd been apart.

"Naruto, look at you," she smiled, he felt his insides melt, "well, what do you think? Have I become a woman while you were gone?" she teased.

His mouth went dry, if he said all the things that came straight to his mind to answer her dangerous question, his master was a dead man. Sakura decided fate was cruel to shackle her to him now, she'd already given her heart to one man who had rejected it with contempt and now this boy turned man was before her, bound to her with words spoken at her weakest moment. She would find a different way to bind them together.

"You haven't changed a bit," smiled the idiot, he said the safest thing he could think of to saves his master's perverted ass.

"You still don't understand the mind of women," growled Pervy Sage.

Naruto just smiled like a fool, he may not understand all women but he knew his Sakura and she'd kill the man without batting an eye lash. Jiraiya shook his head in exasperation and Lady Tsunade just smiled at the teens interactions, reminding her of her youth.

"Are you finally taller than me," she teased as she got closer to him, any excuse would do.

He started estimating his height compared to hers, busying his hands so he wouldn't grab her and make his fantasy come true.

Next thing they know, there is a naked woman among them, calling out to the spunky blond. No one was impressed as the naked woman vanished to reveal a grinning boy. Naruto waved the boys antics off as child's play. Sakura was so proud of him, being immersed around that lecher and his questionable hobby hadn't tainted his morals. She wanted to hug him and gush with joy of having her friend back until he went off about some super hard core technique. Her anger rose to new levels, in a flash her fist made contact with the distracted Toad Sage. A small crater graced the ground where the man once stood and his crumpled body twitched inside it.

"You bastard, you're a dead man," she raged, ready to deliver another blow.

Naruto restrained her from behind before she could go in for the kill.

"I see the student is following the master closely," noted the Lady Hokage on Naruto's antics.

"He pulled that shit before he ever met me," yelled the Sage from the ground, cradling his wound. The pain that washed over his body reminded him of the times the Slug Princess pummeled him, "like you're one to talk," he whispered looking at the pink haired banshie ready to end him.

"He didn't do this before," she gestured to the warm hand cupping her breast.

Three adults chuckled as the blond turned seventeen shades of pink, he started to stutter a poor excuse for an apology but he had done nothing to remove himself from her. Now, not only did he fear for his master's life but his own as well. She had sought to murder him one time for just thinking he tried to cop a feel but now, his massive hand was holding her breast and every time she struggled instincts clamped down on the soft flesh. Blood was rushing to all the wrong places as her warm body was snug against his, her intoxicating sent filling his nostrils, and it felt exhilarating to play with something so dangerous.

"You wanted to fight me, now is a good as time as any," snarled the girl, she needed to remove him from her, she didn't want him to feel that her nipple was hardening from the attention from his hand. Gripping his arms and flipping his much larger mass over her petite form. The air evacuated his lungs as he met the ground, her black boot pushed uncomfortably into his body as she pulled on the one arm she held onto.

"Kakashi," sighed Tsunade, not seeing this end well if they didn't intervene.

"Alright, foreplay is over, let's get down to business," he paused to let the two teens recover from his choice of words, "you two are now part of my team, but our relationship is different now, we are equals on this team and I expect you both to act as much. Before we continue, I am curious about my teammates skills," his eye crinkled in a smile as he held up two silver bells.

A dangerous grin pulled at the rosettes plump lips, "think you can keep your hands off me long enough to get those," she asked, green eyes dancing with ambition.

She took his recently recaptured breath away. Only managing a nod to her question she let the boy return to his feet.

"The rules haven't changed, if you don't come at me with intent to kill, you will fail," warned their white haired teammate.

"Sounds delicious," she purred, ready to let Naruto see what he was in for when they go their chance to battle.

What had that old hag turned his sweet Sakura into? He had loved the girl before his training took him away from her, and he loved her enough to accept she had changed. He would miss the girl she use to be but he would respect the woman still standing close to him. They soon found themselves on hallowed ground, where Team Seven was born. The labor pains had been excruciating but in the end something wonderful had entered the world. It had saved two lost boys from their loneliness and brought one lost girl to the path to find herself.

"This place brings back memories," mused the blond.

Sakura only nodded, not wanting to dwell on the past, she wanted to move forward, she wanted retribution for not being able to stop their friend, and making Naruto take her burden.

She heard them say a name she had refused to utter since he left, she watched as it brought Naruto to his knees. That was her fault, he couldn't stand under the pressure she heaved onto his broad muscular shoulders. She didn't blame him, hate was a powerful emotion, only one thing was stronger, and it would take ever last drop of their love to bring him home. She pulled her midnight black gloves from her pouch and slipped her slender fingers into their proper places. The warn leather welcomed her hands as she cracked her knuckles.

"Come, come Naruto, don't show your weakness to our opponent," she called, watching him raise himself from the ground, curious she hadn't been overwhelmed like him.

The sound of pages snapping together tore his attention from her to their former sensei, not only had he closed his book and put it safely away, his hands moved the blue strap that held his forehead protector over his gifted eye, to sit perfectly on his brow. A sense of accomplishment sent shivers through her excited body. He was already taking them serious. She smiled at her comrade, as his blue eyes danced with the same excitement. He leaped into action, weapon flew from both males, she watched in awe as he and the copy cat ninja exchanged moves reminiscent of their first time on the field together. Naruto caught up with his own weapon to the back of his head but this time there was a weapon to a vital spot on the seasoned ninja.

"Now, lets begin," chuckled the deep voice of Kakashi before he vanished.

She scanned the area, he must have gone below, he'd learn soon enough that wasn't a safe place from her. She caged the buzz in her heart and moved her chakra expertly to her fist, sending it all into the earth, ravaging it to bits. There was the father of Team Seven, looking shocked by her raw power. He should have known she didn't spend the last two and a half years just learning how to be a medic. It was pleasurable to watch the ground return to the earth after she disturbed it so profusely.

Naruto made a mental note to quit screwing around in front of the woman he loved and sent a silent thank you to whatever deity saved his ass after publicly groping her. Again he attacked head on with a barrage of weapons and shadow clones while Sakura followed closely behind trying to deliver a life ending strike. It didn't take long for all the weaponry to be deflected or dodged and all the shadow clones to poof away from a blow from the veteran.

They ended up separating, Kakashi disguising himself in a tree while the teens found themselves at the base of a different tree panting.

"He's as good as I remember, maybe better," sighed her companion as he wiped some blood that was slowly traveling down his cheek from a scratch put their by the white haired man.

"Here," she moved in close putting her hand to his injured cheek, "I know that you have the nine-tails and he can speed up your healing but I want you to see that I'm not useless anymore," she stated as her chakra stitched his cells back together. Shock filled his blue eyes, not by her abilities, as impressive as they were, but her words drug in his chest like her boot had earlier that day.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her face closer to his, she needed to hear this, "I never, never thought of you as useless. I protected you because you're my friend and that's what friends do. I didn't see you as a rival but that doesn't mean I considered you useless," he growled out.

"N-Naruto," she stuttered out, his hot breath fanning her face, drawing her in. He confused her heart, she didn't know if it would thump out of control or stop. It hitched and spiraled out of control, adrenaline coursed throughout her veins, "I, I have an idea," she stated trying to move to a safer subject.

Kakashi had caught his breath and was planning counter strategies as he prepared for whatever they brought his way. He turned to find his knuckled headed, unpredictable student was attacking head on and alone. He summoned a large mass of shadow clones, while his pink haired teammate transformed into a carbon copy of the blond to hide in plain sight. As the clone army attacked she slipped in close, Kakashi being none the wiser to the danger lurking in the sea of Naruto clones. As he battled the horde back, them vanishing in clouds of smoke with every move of his body until one hit solid, thinking it the true Naruto he moved to strike but a skilled hand shot through his torso in a non-vital spot. The transformation released to see a pink haired vixen's face dotted with the blood spray, a mask of determination over her green eyes. No remorse, she didn't see her sensei, she saw another challenge to overcome to complete her goals. Her free hand snagged the bells, tossing one to her comrade while the other dangled from her fingers before the injured man.

"Sakura," Naruto called, jaw hanging like it had come unhinged.

She pulled her arm from the man's body, "sorry," she grimaced as she laid him on the ground to administer healing. To the young man's surprise, Kakashi was chuckling, a pride in his dark eyes.

"I'm very impressed with you two, that was superb teamwork, and I'm glad I don't have to fight you again," laughed the injured man as pain shot down his nerves. Once she had him made whole again, he vanished with the excuse of paperwork to hand in. She didn't believe him, he just wanted to absorb himself in his new book.

"That was a little much, wasn't it?" questioned Naruto, determined to figure out her mind.

"He asked for killing intent, so I delivered," was her quick reply.

"What happened while I was gone?" he pondered out loud.

"I was lost without a team to stand by," she answered looking off into the distance.

"I promised to come back, Team Seven is not gone, you and I are still here," he declared. She looked at him, like she was searching the very pit of his soul, like she could see it and the demon stored there behind his sealed bars. Something was radiating from her, if it was her killing intent, he was in trouble because of the lethal levels.

"Fuck it," she growled grabbing the surprised male and kissing him with her dirty mouth. It was hot as she found herself in his lap, his scent mixed with the lingering smell of their opponent's blood. He didn't know what to do, he'd read about this kind of thing in those blasted books his master wrote but he never expected to find himself in this situation with her.

She broke the kiss panting, she had to know why her body demanded his, why the empty spot in her heart was filled now that he was near.

"Tell anyone about this and I'll kill you," she threatened through her rapid breaths.

"I'm telling everyone, I'm going to shout it from the top of the Hokage's heads, so if you don't want anyone to know, you better kill me now, or kiss me again and make me forget how to talk," he titillated, stroking circles on her sides.

Blackmail, she liked it, she captured his mouth again. Driven by urges alone, she kissed him until she couldn't think straight. She hoped she had the same effect on him. Watching him as they parted, she felt she had succeeded in making his brain mush.

"See you around, Naruto," she smirked as she walked away.

Curse that woman for confusing him so much. Flopping back on the soft earth, he pondered they day. He'd returned home, felt up the girl he loved, defeated a seasoned ninja, and been kissed by the same girl he got to grope, it was a good day. But she made it so he needed to head home and climb into a cold shower. He'd save their battle for another day. Sometimes waiting made things better.


End file.
